Yet corporations often merely pay lip service to eco-friendly requirements, stating that they are a "green-company" without truly encompassing the meaning of the word.
One South African manufacturer, Green Worx Cleaning Solutions, has taken on the 'green' challenge by developing and manufacturing green cleaning products. The company’s product range is based on proven, world class, eco-friendly solutions that are capable of eliminating all forms of dirt and grime without using harmful chemicals or damaging earth’s fragile eco-system.
Green Worx was the first green-cleaning product manufacturer to develop active-enzyme products. These products work with specially selected bacteria and natural enzymes to break down dirt and grease into organic nutrients which are then released safely back into the environment. The key benefits of utilising such products are that harmful chemical compounds are not released into the atmosphere or into water systems, while cleaning staff are not exposed to toxic fumes and chemicals.
"Although there has been a noticeable shift to the use of green cleaning products, when compared to the amount of chemicals remaining in use, there is still a very long way to go," says Chris Kettley, CEO of Green Worx Cleaning Solutions. To propel this, government and FMCG corporate giants need to adhere to, and implement, corporate sustainability charters rather than merely stating that they do so on their websites.
In developing truly environmentally beneficial standards and reducing their carbon footprint, corporations and consumers alike can minimise the impact that their actions have on the environment without sacrificing a clean home or office.
In the hospitality and medical industries, for instance, accommodation and medical care providers should use laundry detergents that do not contain phosphates. Phosphates cause unnatural algae growth in waterways which starves natural living organisms of oxygen, effectively killing them. Globally, over 2000 tons of phosphates are released into the environment each year; and this is just from the use of laundry detergents. South Africa’s overburdened wastewater treatment plants are simply not equipped to cope with these amounts of pollution.
Cleaning companies should ensure that they utilise cleaning products that contain little-to-no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These VOCs are heavily polluting; they biodegrade slowly and incompletely; they cause allergic reactions and worsen asthma when inhaled; they can cause brain damage, skin, nose throat and sinus irritations; as well as being linked to infertility and miscarriages.
Despite the severe environmental and physical consequences of these products, they remain in use. If these harmful results are the by-product physically, imagine the damage to the environment when a bucket of used chemicals is poured down the drain.
In the food industry, products such as Green Worx’s Odorite Ultra Deep Clean Enzymatic 30 X can be utilised to ensure health and safety. The multi-enzymatic action of the product offers greater effectiveness than chemical and germicidal cleaners, due to the fact that the enzymes digest host material where the germ and odour causing bacteria live and reproduce. Specifically within the food industry, enzymatic products are beneficial in that they break down residual organic soils such as fats, greases and starches, which act as glue or bio-film, trapping dirt and other organics on surfaces. It is safer to use in the kitchen as enzymes are non-toxic, non-irritating, non-gaseous, non-flammable, non-pathogenic and non-hazardous.
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) recently confirmed its accreditation of Odorite according to SANS 1828:2005, regulating cleaning chemicals for use in the food industry. This was a ground-breaking achievement as it is the first accreditation of its kind in the eco-friendly cleaning product sector.
Being aware of the chemicals present in cleaning products and their effect on the environment, as well as the health and safety of those utilising the products, is essential. Turning a blind eye to these dangerous ingredients will lead to a further damaged environment and a sickly, unproductive workforce.
About Green Worx Cleaning Solutions:
Green Worx Cleaning Solutions supplies innovative, environmentally responsible, biotechnology products based on the use of natural microbes and enzymes. In such, Green Worx supplies green cleaning and sanitation solutions, pollution control and environmental remediation products to industrial and commercial entities, as well as to consumers. Green Worx prides itself on its associations with global leaders providing innovative, effective and high-quality products and solutions to meet specific customer needs.
For more information, call Green Worx on +27 011 708 6626. Alternatively, email [email protected] or visit the Green Worx website.